Samoa independents in quest of party name

A competition to find a name for a new political party in Samoa which will include 12 independent MPs is under way despite a recent ruling by the Speaker, Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Lei'ataua, that the MPs must remain independents.

Tolofuaivalelei has stressed that no party can be formed or established after a general election when in the first sitting of that new parliament all MPs have to be sworn in and declare which parties they belong to.

But he says the process of finding a name can be done if it is part of the independent MPs preparation to form a political party after the current five year term ends in March 2011.